Column: Trib legacy preserved by Incourage, museum

In December 2012, the Incourage Community Foundation purchased the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune building at 220 First Ave. S. After 52 years, this structure was much more spacious than needed for publishing our local paper.

Its proud history can be traced to May 20, 1960, when publisher and owner William F. Huffman, Jr. announced, "On Saturday and Sunday it will be the pleasure of all of us at the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune and Radio Station WFHR to welcome the public at an Open House in the new building on 1st Ave. So."

"At work in this building, we will earnestly strive to improve the newspaper and radio 'products' we deliver. Thus, we may better inform our fellow citizens of events in our own progressive communities, in the great Nation of which we are a part and in the world beyond."

Lofty aspirations indeed, but Mr. Huffman delivered on this commitment and made our local newspaper and radio station the pride of the community.

In a special supplement distributed during the open house, the Daily Tribune traced the roots of journalism here to Nov. 28, 1857, when J.N. Brundage published the first issue of the Wood County Reporter. That was only one year after Wood County was organized.

Since then, many other newspapers have come and gone from our community. Daily Tribune history began in 1919, when William F. Huffman, Sr., a native of Rockford, Ill., purchased the Wisconsin Valley Leader and soon the Grand Rapids Tribune and Nekoosa Tribune.

By 1923, Huffman had discontinued the other papers and the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune has delivered local, state, national and world news to the citizens of South Wood County ever since.

The Trib's media partner, William F. Huffman Radio (WFHR), came on the air on Nov. 5, 1940, from the second floor of the Nash building, later the Montgomery Ward building, on West Grand Avenue.

One of my favorite stories about that original location was about WFHR "man on the street" interviews. The broadcaster would dangle a microphone out of the second floor window and interview people who were passing by on the sidewalk below.

According to the 1960 open house supplement, the Tribune-WFHR building was designed by Rowland Associates of Wisconsin Rapids.

As you face this unique building from the river, a 16-sided, or nearly round, structure is on the right, or north.

On the first floor were the studios and offices of WFHR and the joint business offices for the Daily Tribune and the radio station. On the second floor were the Daily Tribune news and advertising departments.

On the first floor of the rectangular building to the south were the press room, circulation department, mailing and carrier rooms, and a storage area for about two-and-a-half months of newsprint paper. On the second floor was the composing room, stereotype department and photo-engraving department.

William F. Huffman Jr. sold WFHR radio station to Bliss Communication in 1982 and the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune to Thomson Newspapers a year later. The Gannett company purchased the Daily Tribune in 2000.

After 52 years in one location, the Daily Tribune accumulated lots of local history.

In November 2012, General Manager Allen Hicks met with city historian and currently the longest serving contributor to the Daily Tribune, (Uncle) Dave Engel, and struck a deal to house many of the Tribune's history files in the South Wood County Historical Museum.

Before the move, Uncle Dave, myself, Museum administrator Lori Brost and volunteer Jack Wesley sorted and moved many of these valuable archives, including negatives dating to the 1960s.

A special thank you goes out to Mr. Hicks for recognizing the value of these historic archives and for allowing us to house them in a safe location for the benefit of all.

Phil Brown is president of the board of the South Wood County Historical Corp., a cranberry grower, and chairman of the Wood County town of Cranmoor.

Editor's note: Daily Tribune Media now has its offices at 101 W. Riverview Expressway, Suite 131, in Wisconsin Rapids and operates its distribution services from a separate Wisconsin Rapids location.

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Column: Trib legacy preserved by Incourage, museum

In December 2012, the Incourage Community Foundation purchased the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune building at 220 First Ave. S. After 52 years, this structure was much more spacious than needed for

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